Now that I’m a parent I often find myself worrying about the future.

But every time I’m doing this, it’s pulling my attention out from the present moment.

For example, instead of enjoying my baby’s giggles or cuddling with him, I sometimes zone out and fantasize different things I should do to give him the best life possible.

What a dumb father.

Weird as I rarely acted like this before he’s born. Most of the time, I’m just in the present — reading, learning, creating, writing, and just being mindful — and never worry about the future.

If you’ve been reading Craftdeology, you know it. Obviously I wasn’t prepared for this change. Or maybe I’m expecting it to be easy?

Maybe being present all the time isn’t always the right approach. Sometimes you have to plan and visualize your dreams.

Still impossible to deny…

That living in the present moment is where the real joy is. It’s the highest calling.

Because it’s the only time that exists. The past existed in the present. The future will exist in the present.

The trick here is to catch yourself and return to the present moment each time your mind wanders.

I know I’m being tested.

So this is a reminder not just to me but you as well:

Everytime you’re unhappy or anxious, it means you’re not in the present.

Your mind is drifting somewhere either to the past or the future.

It’s not bad to look back or think about your future. Sometimes you have to extract past experiences and imagine some possible future scenarios… so you can be proactive and make the right decisions.

You don’t want to repeat your (or somebody’s) mistakes. And you don’t want to forgo planning either.

But do it less often (as much as possible). Do it intentionally. Avoid it when you’re spending time with your loved ones.

Otherwise you’ll wake up one day wondering where all your time goes.

And the worst case — which is my greatest fear — is that you die suddenly while imagining your next vacation.